So this is me...
This is the beginning of my journey...
This is my relentless journey into the unknown... my high speed, head first lunge towards the obscure world of cross-cultural ministry. This is my journey into intransigence and remorselessness; my heart-suffocating, uncompromising desire to be desperate, weak, broken, and dependent... Dependent on and desperate for the Man who gave everything He had so that this world could behold Him and be reunited with Him and His plan from the beginning (John 17:24; Ephesians 1:10). What does this desperation entail? Honestly, I HAVE NO IDEA. But I know the first step that God has asked of me.
Carlos... Go to Peru.
Some consider me a madman. A raging lunatic who has just agreed to leave his family, his beloved friends, his yellow labrador retriever (Oliver), sold his most prized possessions, left his job that took him 9 years to come to, forsaken the education he has received, the country and culture he was born and raised in.
I work for a major commercial bank, and I meet many, many people every day. I met a man who is a millionaire with enough to take care of himself and his family for the rest of his existence. In the normal course of dialogue I shared with him a glimpse of my journey...
“So... You’re going to Peru, huh? Do you have at least $100,000.00 saved up?”
“Nope, not even close.”
“Well, then you have a job out there! How much are they paying you?”
“Nothing.”
“How long have you been in banking?”
“Nine years.”
“And you’re just leaving?”
“Yep.”
Silence... then he says:
“Here’s my email. I want pictures, emails, all that stuff. You’re crazy.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. I must say, the guy had a very colorful personality and way of expressing himself. But just like I had a friend tell me last night, Hell is a real place. And a terrifying one. Not too many Christians truly believe in hell. They have intellectual knowledge of it, but they don’t really understand the gravity of what God has saved them from. If they did... They would go into their neighborhoods, burst into their relatives’ houses with a Bible in their trembling hands... They would go into all the world, fueled by His passions, His burdens to save the world that He paid such a high price to save.
Mind you, not everyone will go into cross cultural ministry. Some, like the demon possessed man who upon receiving his deliverance, was commanded by Jesus to go to his home and declare the great things The Lord has done (Mark 5:18-20). But the Bible is missions. A friend and missionary mentor of mine said something that resonated... Every Christian has three options. Go, send, or be disobedient.
I hope that this journey, should you choose to follow me on it brings clarity to what God would have you do in our planet, His mission field.
If you can’t go, then send.
Send me. I’m sure you’re asking how do I serve as a sender. Well, prayer is the most important/powerful way. I would encourage you to read Serving as Senders by Neal Pirolo. Do nothing without consultation with The Lord. Hear from Him. He may already be speaking to you.
So now, details... It is my sincere commitment to have a weekly update on this blog.
I leave August 9th and I would that it be sooner... But God’s timing is perfect.
You can always contact me through this blog, and any financial support can also be accepted on here, although don’t expect me to solicit anything from you. As I said.. prayer, prayer, prayer is key.
My friends, I leave with you this...
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. -Deut 6:5 ESV
-Carlos
